OK, been thinking about this and decided to put it out for discussion.

Midwest style hunting in farm country.

Small wood lots maybe 2 - 20 acres surrounded by large 200 - 400 acre open flat areas of cut crop fileds. Occasional ditch and roll to the land, but think flat and you can see for a very long way.

I always try and "play" the wind when approaching and or selecting a site for ambush. The first question I have revolves around stand or blind site selection. Should you select a site that blows your scent into the woods or blowing out of the wood lot taking your scent out into the field? Or do you simply setup smack dab in the middle of the woodlot?

I usually set up on the edge and try and have as little scent as possible blowing into the woodlot at any given time. Seems to work most of the time.

Second Question revolves around approaching these woodlots either in the am, midday or pm. My theory is a deer has a nose that can't be fooled and relatively good vision. Would it not make sense that a deer would typically approach a woodlot offering cover from the downwind side to smell potential danger before entering? Or if said deer is already in the woodlot and is using it for cover would by insitinct the deer walk and or typically bed the downwind edge allowing the deer to smell potential danger coming through the woodlot where its vision is impaired. On the flip side he can also leverage his vision to see potential danger on the open filed side. This would leave the deer optimal escape routes in both situations. If he smells you coming through the woods he bolts inot the open filed outrunning the danger or if he sees you coming as you approach accross the open field into the wood lot he simply retreats further into the woods with the wind in his face. So which direction is an optimal approach? I think I have a good method, but would like to hear what others have come up with.

I usually try and approach a wood lot at an oblique angle to the wind direction so a deer already in the woods may have his vision of the open approach blocked and cannot smell me coming. Thats my theory anyway.

I'd say you have a good plan... approach at an angle that blows your scent neither towards or away from the woods. i hunt in a similar situation. I always try to approach my stands at a direct line after making a loop out into the field for an afternoon hunt (assuming the deer will be moving from being bedded in the timber out to feed), and i try to hug the treeline walking in to my stand in the am (assuming the deer will be moving into the timber from the fields to water and bed down)